dward's 
Jified Syste 



Fade over nigj 

jt Professional S( 
in specially pi 
^, for Home a 
[rofcssional use. 

ir Furniture. 
[l)h()lst(»r Kurnitur(\ 

isli r]n\s>^, V(M'nis Mar 

Beds. 

with (iold. Silver, Nick 



iomplete, $5.00. 



xclusively liv 

ards, M. M. 
<:(K 111. 



Edward's 
Simplified System 



A TRADE OVER NIGHT. 
25 Great Professional Secrets ar- 
ranged in specially prepared 
lessons, for Home and 
Professional use 



How to Repair Furniture. 

How to Re-Upholster Furniture. 

How to Re finish Brass, Vernis Mar 
tin and Enamel Beds. 

How to Plate with Gold, Silver. Nick 
el, Copper, etc. 



Price, Complete, $5. CO. 



Published Exclusively by 

C. W. ^dwards, M, M. 

Chicago, 111. 

White Print, 4739 State St. 




A TRADE OVER NIGHT." 



By C. W. Edwards, Master Painter 

and Woodfinisher and Metal of 

All Kinds. 

Has spent 25 years at the trade, 15 
years alone in Chicago's largest depart- 
ment stores — 

L. Fish Furniture Co., 

Putz Furniture Co., 

Z. Alexander Furniture & Carpet Co., 

Mustcat Furniture Co., 

Schiff Furniture Co. 
Has refinished over 25,000 pieces of fur- 
niture of all kinds, and knows the busi- 
ness from the start to the finish. This 
is work that was done in the homes of 
the customers. 

With this set of Instructions a child 
can do the work. "A trade over night" 
is what you have here — knowing in the 
morning you can go out and get a job, 
or start a business of your own. 

Yours for Progress, 

*•. : C W. Edwards, M. C. 

• • ^ 

MAR -5 i9I9 

C1.A5 14500 ^, ^ J 



Lesson No. 1. 

• • 

PLATING FLUID INSTRUCTION. 
To Gold Plate Any Article. 

Following fluids must be used : 

Yz gal. soft water. 

Yz oz. Phosphate of Soda. 

3 pwt. pure Cyanide of Potash. 

4 pwt. pure Chloride of Gold. 

Mix the soda and Potash into the soft 
water. The powders will mix readily. 
Then mix the Chloride of Gold into the 
first mixture. Dip the article in the re- 
sulting fluid, place it into a stove oven 
at about 190 or 200 degrees heat, ar 
ranging the process so that the poison- 
ous fumes will pass up the chimney. As 
soon as the fumes have passed away, re- 
move the article and it will be gold 
plated. 

• • 



-3— 



Lesson No. 2. 

Silver Plating. All articles must be 
plated with copper before they can be 
silver plated. Use the following solu- 
tion, No. 2: 

2 oz. Nitrate of Silver, in crystals. 
1 qt. rain or soft water. 

Add 4 oz. Cyanide of Potash. 
First dip the article into solution No. 
1 of 

4 oz. Corrosive Sublimate of Potash. 

3 oz. Sal Ammoniac, dissolved in 1 gal. 
rain or soft water. 

Then dip in solution No. 2. 



Lesson No. 3. 
Refinish Nickel. Prepare one solu- 
tion as follows : 

2 oz. Precipitated Silver. 

^ oz. Hypersulphate of Soda. 

1 oz. of Cyanide of Potash. 

y2 lb. Double Nickel Salt. 

Teaspoonful of Whiting. 

Apply with a soft cloth and wipe dry, 

• • 

lesson No. 4. 
Refinish Brass. 

y2 gal. distilled or rain water. 

^- oz. Zinc Sulphate. 

1 oz. Carbonate of Ammonia. 

Add tablespoonful of Whiting, 

• * 

Lesson No. 5. 
Refinish Copper. 

3 oz. Copperian. 

Yz oz. Cyanide Potash. 

15 gr. pulverized Cream of Tartar. 

3 oz. Calcined Magnesia. 

Ready for use. Use soft cloth. 

• • 



-5— 



Lesson No. 6. 
Refinish Iron. All iron must be pol- 
ished smooth and plated in copper or 
brass before it can be plated in nickle or 
silver. Treating rough iron, brass or cop- 
per, emory must be used or a lathe wheel, 
but in good condition you can use buff 

compound or pumice stone with a little 
Cream of Tartar and Magnesia. When 
finished put into a hot solution of Cyan- 
ide Potash, Yz lbs. dissolved in 1 gal. 
pure rain water. Then let dry — Gold 
and Silver. For polish you can use rot- 
ten stone and a little whiting with Alco- 
hol. You can give any of this work a 
coat of lacquer if you wish. 



-6- 



REFINISHING AND VARNISHING. 



Lesson No. 7. 
The Dull, Black Finish. To do dulf, 

black finishing proceed by a first coat 

of dull, black varnish, and when dry give 

a coat of drop black ground in oil with 

a little Japan dryer. 

• • 

Lesson No. 8. 
Pearl Gray. To do Pearl gray give 

the article a white paint, let dry. Then 

an equal part of Prussian blue and lamp 

black, polish with pumice stone and a 

thin coat of varnish. 

• • 

Lesson No. 9. 
Vernis Martin. To do Vernis Mar- 
tain the article must be painted with 
maple yellow, or patent yellow with 
a small quantity of bronze, orange color 
and a little Spanish white, then give a 
rich coat of gold bronze, then varnish 
when dry. 

• • 



—7- 



Lesson No. 10. 

Dull Finishing. In dull finishing on 

brass. Metal must be clean from tarnish, 

polish with common metal polish, then 

use No. 2 sand paper, work in uniform. 

But pulverized pumice stone is the best 
for a beginner. Wipe perfectly dry. Give 
a coat of lacquer. 

• • 

Lesson No. 11. 
Refinish Iron Beds. To refinish iron 

beds all old painj; must be removed. 

Sand paper with No. 2 sand paper, with 

No. 3 as a fine finish, then give a thin 
coat of white lead, then any color you 

desire in two coats, then varnish. 

• • 

Lesson No. 12. 
White Enamel. To finish an enamel 

bed it must be perfectly clean, and finish 

wth No. 2 sand paper, if an old bed, 
and give a coat of white lead and dry, 

give another coat of the same, mix with 

Japan dryers, let stand for two days. 

Ft^plov a piece of burlap or with F. F. F. 
pumice stone, dampen with water and 



polish smooth one way, then wipe dry 
with a cheese cloth, then let stand about 
one hour ; then give a coat of thin 
Enamel. When dry give a heavy coat, 

then varnish. 

• • 

Lesson No. 13. 
Refinish a Brass Bed. Remove all old 

lacquer with denatured alcohol. Then 
polish with metrd polish to a bright 
lustre. Mix Dry Roam gold with ba- 
nana oil, or lacquer, and give the metal 
a coat of it. Put it on even, be sure that 
your work is finished in uniform before 
you put on lacquer. It takes p.bout two 
hours to dry, then give a coat of var- 
nish. Always employ camel hair brush 
in this work, for both lacquer and A^ar- 
nish. Of course, the trimming you can 
finish to suit yourself in your solution as 
suits your work. 



-9— 



Lesson No. 14. 
Refinish Rich Gold. Proceed as stated 

in former lessons, polish bright, then 

apply a coat of rich gold lacquer. 

* * 

Lesson No. 15. 
Instruction How to Clean Furniture. 

Furniture cleaning in a home is made 
simple. You can make a piece look like 
new. Mix Sal-Soda and a piece of com- 
mon soap together in ^ gal. water (Sal- 
Soda ^ lbs.) add to this solution a small 

]:)*cce of bees wax, ^ lb. of pumice stone 
in warm water. Follow this up with a 
clean bucket of warm, rinsing water. 

Dry with a chamous skin by following 
the grain of the wood and dry, you can 
varnish or shellac ; shellac will show wa- 
ter ; good varnish will not. 

* • 
Glueing. 

Lesson No. 16. 

In glueing a joint of furniture or a 
chair round remove all old glue and sand 
paper joint to be fixed, then fill with hot 
glue and put together as soon as pos- 
sible. Use clamps when needed. 
—10— 



Lesson No. 17. 
How to Stain and Fill Wood. 

In staining, filling, varnishing and 
finishing wood careful consideration must 
be taken. Here you must remember all 
material that is applied to wood, such as 
sand paper, steel wool. Scraping, var- 
nish and shellac or staining must follow 
the grain of the wood. Of course, in fill- 
ing you can circle so that you can fill 
the pores of the wood, but when you fin- 
ish folloAv the grain. In filling and stain 
ing or anything else don't dab here and 
there. Start at one side of your work 
and proceed to the other. New wood 

can be sized with hot glue when filled 
you can color your filling to the colar 

^'ou want. Then finish Avith F. F. F. 
pumice stone or 000 sand paper Be care- 

vul don't cut through your filling, rub 
very light. In polish use French polish 

or rotten stone with a felt rubber. Flan- 
nel rubber about 2^/^ is good, dampen 
in rubbing oil,. 

To do French polishing pour some of 

—11— 



the French polish into a saucer anr^ 
some linseed oil into another, take some 
pieces of fine wool and roll them into a 
ball, and put them into a piece of lin- 
ing just so that it will fit the palm of the 
hand, make it tight, dampen it with a 
little of the polish, than take it in the 
fingers without touching the work to be 
finished. Draw tight over, not to hard, 
this will soon present to the wood a 
smooth bright luster. Polish lightly with 
p ^ree hand in a circle stroke and gradual- 
ly traverse your circle. Apply now and 
then a drop of polish and a drop of oil to 
the surface of the ri:bber. When the 
grain of the wood disappears, allow it to 
stand about four hours, then sand lightly 
then polish again until smooth. If dull 
spot is shown they may be removed bv a 
few drops of spirit of wine. You can em- 
ploy a new rubber. 



^12— 



Lesson No. 18. 
How to Cover Stuffed Furniture. 

In upholstering in a home is very 

simple and easy by my system. The way 

to start to get a new piece of furniture 
that has just been damaged, careful- 
ly examine a little at a time, and put it 
back just as you found it, and don't for- 
get this if you want to succeed as an 
upholsterer. And if you follow these in- 
structions, success will come to you it 
you do as I say. In webbing over stuffed 
furniture with spring supporters, in re- 
moving the old supporters strap or web- 
bing that is nailed to the frame of the 
article, not to split the frame of the 
article, take a hammer and a screw 
driver, place the point of the screw at the 
head of the tack, drive the way of the 
grain of the wood and strike it lightly 
with your hammer and you will not split 
the wood. After removing the old tacks 
with the webbing combined, you'll find 
the spring stitched to the webbing, don't 
cut the stitching, carefully find the end 
—13- 



and draw out the cord, and take notice 
how it is stitched, and proceed to replace 
your straps as you found them. Draw 
the strap tight as possible. Don't try to 
put them on over the spring for you can- 
not. Let your springs come through the 
square as far as possible and after you 
have nailed down all of your straps as 
tight as you can get them, then push the 
springs back through the square hole and 
place them in the center of the square 
'*^ht where the straps cross each other 
and stitch as former. This is for bottom 
work only, furniture must be placed up- 
side down, rest on chair or horse. Top 
work you proceed as you would bottom 
only adjusting the spring. In taking 
the old cover off, you must be 
careful not to scratch the finished part 
of the frame, you'll find the work almost 
the same, only tie the spring with strong 
twine and adjust them to suit. Then pro- 
ceed to cover with some kind of cloth, 
nail tightly over the spring on the inner 

—14— 



edge of the frame as close as 
you possibly can do so. And when 
this is finished, then proceed with 
your stuffing, keep it level, stitch it tight- 
ly to the spring, put on your cover, cut 
it to suit, put a tack in the center of the 
cover between post or side of article and 
draw tight to the front by placing the 
hand over the cloth, press hard down on 
the spring at the same time draw to the 
front tightly, then put the tack in the 
center and nail. You must keep this up 
as you nail your cover on, and after you 
have placed your cover on, strike it with 
your hand so you can tell when it is tight 
enough, will sound like a drum. Always 
start from the center tack and proceed to 
the corner, see that the corner is well 
stuffed, and after it is tacked down well 
take a sharp knife and trim the ragged 
edge close as possible, then put on the 
binding. 



—15— 



Lesson No. 19. 
In House Painting. 

How to paint a house, it requires a 
skilled mechanic, but it is said that any- 
body can paint, but that is a mistake, 
— anybody can dob or grease a house — 
Painting is a high class trade and the 
person who knows it can demand good 
money for what they do. In painting a 
house, first you must nail all loose boards 
and scrape of all loose paints, scales and 
blisters, and putty up all holes with pure 
white lead, mix with whiting to a stiff 
paste ; of course, add your putty with lin- 
seed oil, putty the window^ with the 
same. 

This is good for twenty-five years. 
Remember you can make any color you 
want, but first you must break up youi 
color with a little turpentine to suit, and 
add to your white lead as you desire 
color. 



-16— 



Paint for outside work is prepared 

100 per cent of lead, 12 parts oil, add 

turpentine to a consistence of spreading 

easy. Use 3 1-2x4 1-2 inch brush, kill 

all of the under edge of the weather 

boarding at all harzard, at least six to 

four boards deep, before painting the face. 
In dipping the brush it should be dipped 

two to three inches usually by a first class 

painter. This is to avoid the waste of the 

material, draw your brush out as far as 

possible, never set down your brush 

where you have previously worked, this 

I mean with a newly dipped brush, start 

about 2 1-2 or 3 feet away from your 

work and work the heavy paint to the 

front, then work back to your former 

work, this way you avoid laps. 

• * 

Lesson No. 20. 

How to Calcimine. 

Calcimine is taking the place in every 

home. It requires a skilled workman. If 

you intend to be a successful person at 

-17— 



this work you must see that your wall 

is perfectly clean, putty up all holes, not 

with oil putty, that is used for painting, 

but with plaster paris and finish wnth 

damp brush before it gets dry. When 

dry glue-size or hard-oil or you can 
shallac just as it suits you. 

If you think you have bad walls, try 

out your wall in a small space and let dry, 

by this you will save time and labor. If 

the entire wall is bad glue-size or gloss oil 
leaks from bath rooms sometimes can be 
covered by putting 1 or 2 coats of 

calcimine on. If the wall is greasy, w^ash 

it with salt peter or lime white wash, if 

you use soap great care should be taken 

in removing it. This is applied to 

smoked walls as well. Mix your 

calcimine a little heavier than paint, 
mix it a day ahead, add com- 
mon soap, let your brush be soaked 
well before you start to work, but don't 

let it be wet. Begin with your brush by 

dipping it about 2 or 3 inches into your 

paint, then draw the edge of the brush 



—18- 



against the edge of the bucket, by this 
you will leave the waste calcimine in the 
bucket, then apply the brush to the wall 
with a quick motion of the arm and draw 
out your work and see that you cover as 
you go, follow these instructions and 
paint Avill not run down on the handle of 
the brush and waste on the woodwork. 
Don't pound the wall unless it is neces- 
sary, work on the end of the brissel of 
the brush and success will surely come. 



19- 



Lesson No. 21. 
MIXING PAINTS IN OIL. 



Red and Black Brown 

Lake and White Rose 

White and Black and Carmine. .Chestnut 
Blue and White Lead Color and 

Carmine Purple 

White and Carmine * Pink 

Indigo and Lampblack Silver Gray 

Black and Venitian Red Chocolate 

White and Green Pea Green 

White and Emerald Green. .Brill't Green 

Red and Yellow Orange 

White and Yellow Straw 

White, Blue and Black Pearl Gray 

White, Lake and Vermillion. Flesh color 
Burnt Umber, White and 

Venetian Red Drab 

White and Yellow Cream 

Red and Blue and Black Olive 

Yellow, White and Venetian Red.. Buff 

• • 

—20— 



Lesson No. 22. 
HOW TO MAKE HARDWOOD 

FILLER. 



Cheap Walnut or Cherry Filler. 

English whiting-, dry Buret Umber 

V^andyke Brown Calcined plaster, Vene- 

tion Red, boiled in linseed oil. Spirits 

o^ turpentine well applied with a brush, 

then with a rag. 

• * 

I esson No. 23. 
HOW TO HANG PAPER. 



To h-^.no- paper is easy, but a nervous 
p-^rfon will never make a good mechanic 
at the work. It requires only a little 
practice. 

To hang paper secure the best of 
pi^'te and mix it well and count the 
Ftrips on the wall and ceiling, then get 
the length. Then cut your paper the 
same. Be careful in cutting. See that 
the desip-ns match, which is very impor- 
tant. Then place the paper on the table 

—21— 



and paste. Be careful not to soil other 
strips on the table, see that the edges 
are well pasted and fold so that the 
edges will correspond- — be sure of it. 
Then cut by the margin. Then place 
the paper on the wall. It depends on 
where you start. Well, we'll say, start 
from the side wall or ceiling. We meas- 
ure 18 inches extending toward oppo- 
site side wall, or ceiling about 4 or 5 
feet in length. Use our straight edge to 
draw a line from one point to the other. 
Then place the edge of paper on this line 
at the same distance, then proceed with a 
center stroke. Then right and left with 
your brush, going straight ahead, use 

the margin of the strips for your next 
strip of paper for your guide line, as line 
} ou have drawn. 

You can get your material at any 
Chemical Company for plating. Paint 
at paint supply house. 



—22 



Lesson No. 24. 
First Class Walnut. 

Burnt Umber ground in oil. Burnt 

sienna in oil and brown japan. 

Filler for Light or Golden Oak. 

English whiting, dry burnt sienna, 
French yellow, raw linseed oil, benzine 
spirits and white shellac, mix. 

* * 

Lesson No. 25. 
Fumigated Oak. 

Fumigated oak may be colored by 
strong ammonia, strength about 180 or 
190 degrees, by putting it into a soup 
plate placed into a tight room on the 
floor and you will get the desired color. 

• * 

Lesson No. 26. 

FACTS ABOUT PUTTING FURNI- 
TURE TOGETHER OR CAB- 
INETS. 



Now adays cabin^s and all kinds of 
furniture are cut out by machine. Men 



2^— 



are simply employed to put it together, 
and a child can do it, and all you need to 
know is how to start. We'll say : I will 
put on my shoes the first thing we do. 
We place the right shoe to the right and 
the left shoe to the left. Then we pro- 
ceed to put on our shoes. So in putting 
a piece of furniture or cabinet or any- 
thing of the kind you must first place 
^'our material in its proper place. The 
: ght to the right and the left to the left, 
the front to the front and the back to the 
back. It is very difficult to the beginner 
but in about two hours you will learn 
the ,eame. In putting together see th-^t 
all joints fit together, see that all joints 
are fitted and square up and glue tVht 
and nail tight — put your nails in straight 
?nd regular so thev won't show throup-h 
your work. If you are doing pes: or 
dowel pen^ving cutyour pens to suit, and 
well glue them, use rubber mallet or p 
p^'ece of felt und^r vour hammer, if you 
w^e a hammer. This is the principle o^ 
putting furniture or cabinet work to 
gether. 



—24 



Lesson No. 27. 

APPARATUS YOU WILL NEED 
FOR PLAITING FLUID. 



(1) Mortar, glass or wood. 

(2) Pestle, which is much needed. 

(3) Scales, two pairs needed. 

(4) Graduating glass. 

(5) Spatulas, made of glass (common 
table knife.) 

(6) Percolator, glass or wood. 

(7) Funnels, porcelain or hard rubber. 

(8) Filter rack, a frame work of wire. 

(9) Retorts, made of glass or cloon. 

(10) Lamps for distil purposes (al- 
cohol lamp). 

(11) Baths, for holding heat, made of 
rop/oer or brass. Not come in contact 
with heater. 

(12) Sives, assorted Sizes, best with 
cover rendering the dust impossible. 

(13) Hydrometer. 



-25— 



Table of 
Weights and Measures. 

Pound. Ounces. Drams. Scruples. Grains. 



1 


12 


96 


288. 


5760 





1 


8 


24. 


480 








1 


3. 


60 











1. 


20 



USUAL FORM We Say. 
20 grains, 1 scruple ; 1 scruple, 8 drams, 
1 ounce ; 3 scruple, 1 dram ; 12 ounces, 1 
pound. 

Troy weight. Precious Metal and Stones. 
24 grains, 1 pennyweight ; 12 ounces, 1 
pound ; 24 pennyweight, 1 ounce. 



—26- 



